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	<title>Russia: The Largest Country On Earth</title>
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	<link>http://greatrussia.org</link>
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		<title>Do Like The Beautiful Russian Girls?</title>
		<link>http://greatrussia.org/do-like-the-beautiful-russian-girls.html</link>
		<comments>http://greatrussia.org/do-like-the-beautiful-russian-girls.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:27:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Beautiful Russian girls]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://greatrussia.org/?p=159</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Beautiful Russian girls is considered that slavic girls are the most pretty around the apple. that is why russian girls account the specific absorption at representatives of the southern countries and much at text of line of the nation by answering a abundance of altered questions.The imitation of their behavior generally consists of exceptional components. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://greatrussia.org/"><img class="size-full wp-image-160 alignright" title="Beautiful Russian girls" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Beautiful-Russian-girls.jpg" alt="Beautiful Russian girls" width="294" height="340" />Beautiful Russian girls</a> is considered that slavic girls are the most pretty around the apple. that is why russian girls account the specific absorption at representatives of the southern countries and much at text of line of the nation by answering a abundance of altered questions.The imitation of their behavior generally consists of exceptional components. the babe can be romantic and pragmatic simultaneously, prudent and innocent, lewd and chaste. you can acquisition that babe which you ever search as they differ from one to others. in each of them there is a raisin, and men love secret instead of the direct textbook.<img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-162" title="Beautiful Russian girls" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Beautiful-Russian-girls1.jpg" alt="Beautiful Russian girls" width="298" height="300" /></p>
<p>The tv daily forms the angel of epitome loveliness in heads of million russian girls. they best shot to near to sure standards: behavior standards, the epitome loveliness sizes, much their hobbies sometimes seem ordinary. they best shot to be picked outside of group by dressing short skirts and other ablaze colourful clothes, going to the sun decks. but russian girls best shot to be care not alone to the object, however again to the internal content. these admirable representatives of russian culture are enough opened in discussion, it is imaginable to speak with them virtually on any topic. these girls aspire to independence, they love to accomplish that they desire. they are too pretty for men.</p>
<p>The show time of adolescent women is lay before painful problems. in russia there are not enough men who are capable to supply the usual activity for woman. it is hard to count up absolute correlation of men and women in russia, however it is not excluded that on 10 women it is needed to come not «nine men», and the one and alone one male. other pretendents either bad, or alcoholics and addicts, either sexually bad bodies, or all of these calm.<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-164" title="Beautiful Russian girls" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Beautiful-Russian-girls2.jpg" alt="Beautiful Russian girls" width="439" height="600" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Looking for foreign husbands as they understand some cheerful women who accept married men from another nation. there is the child&#8217;s play ground why russian girls accomplish this: they can not acquisition a male according to them in country as generally acceptable men already accept begin couple to themselves, or girls accept already disappointed in the attitudes of russian boys. they accept that foreign princes accomplish their activity bigger. girls look partners for a long-term accordwho will be future up with them. they air castle to cherish, to booty affliction approximately the partner and to be loved also of direction, to accept a acceptable husband. pretty russian girls aren’t absorbed in wealthy or noted guys, however above board, affectionate, usual, and direct men.<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-165" title="Beautiful Russian girls" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Beautiful-Russian-girls3.jpg" alt="Beautiful Russian girls" width="480" height="299" /></p>
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		<title>Overview Of Russian Culture</title>
		<link>http://greatrussia.org/overview-of-russian-culture.html</link>
		<comments>http://greatrussia.org/overview-of-russian-culture.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:35:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Russian Culture]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://greatrussia.org/?p=152</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Russian Culture is shrouded in mystery. In the Western world, the view of Russia is clouded by years of isolation, conflict&#8230; and Hollywood movies! The reality is far removed from this. If you&#8217;ve ever looked at a map of Russia, and I mean really looked at a map of Russia, the first thing that will [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://greatrussia.org/culture"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-153" title="Russian Culture" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Russian-Culture.jpg" alt="Russian Culture" width="500" height="333" />Russian Culture</a> is shrouded in mystery. In the Western world, the view of Russia is clouded by years of isolation, conflict&#8230; and Hollywood movies! The reality is far removed from this.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;ve ever looked at a map of Russia, and I mean really looked at a map of Russia, the first thing that will strike you is the sheer size of it. Russia is enormous! Ok, I know this is a section about culture, not geography, but it&#8217;s a really important point to note. Throughout its history, Russia has had to protect its vast, vast borders from countless invasions. It has had to provide for its population, using resources from inside its borders, and it has had to survive in extremely cold, harsh winters. All of these factors have combined to make Russians one of the most hardy and nationalistic peoples on earth.<img class="alignright size-full wp-image-154" title="Russian Culture" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Russian-Culture1.jpg" alt="Russian Culture" width="300" height="225" /></p>
<p>So, what are the core features associated with being &#8216;Russian&#8217;? What can you take from this that will help you in your relationships (romantic, business, or otherwise) with Russian people? What can you learn from Russian culture that will open your eyes to the real warmth that exists in Russian society?</p>
<p>We have outlined for you here a good selection of the major contributors to Russian culture. With so many ethnic groups making up the Russian population nowadays, your experiences will depend very much on where you are and with whom you associate, but you can be sure that the Russian persona has been very much influenced by the common issues outlined for you here.</p>
<p>Culture can be defined in many ways, but the bottom line is that culture refers to the aspects of a country that make it unique. So, in this case, what makes Russia truly &#8216;Russian&#8217;.</p>
<p>Culture is like a living organism &#8211; always growing and changing. From the State to the street, from the concert hall to the corner store, the culture of Russia is rich in history, tradition, and warmth. By taking a closer look, we hope you will begin to see the beauty and wonder of this amazing country and its people.<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-156" title="Russian Culture" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Russian-Culture2.jpg" alt="Russian Culture" width="468" height="312" /></p>
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		<title>Russia Is Surely One Of The World&#8217;s Most Incredible Places</title>
		<link>http://greatrussia.org/russia-is-surely-one-of-the-worlds-most-incredible-places.html</link>
		<comments>http://greatrussia.org/russia-is-surely-one-of-the-worlds-most-incredible-places.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:23:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Russia]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://greatrussia.org/?p=148</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Russia is surely one of the world&#8217;s most incredible places, covering a vast swathe of Europe and the setting for an interesting culture and history. An amazing selection of experiences await you in Russia, both engineered by man and natural, with some of the most beautiful scenery, structures and monuments you&#8221; come across on the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><object width="450" height="259" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/K8SFs-svuqQ?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="450" height="259" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/K8SFs-svuqQ?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></center><a href="http://greatrussia.org/">Russia</a> is surely one of the world&#8217;s most incredible places, covering a vast swathe of Europe and the setting for an interesting culture and history. An amazing selection of experiences await you in Russia, both engineered by man and natural, with some of the most beautiful scenery, structures and monuments you&#8221; come across on the planet. When you&#8217;re planning travelling to Russia, there are also some specific issues that you have to think about.</p>
<p>Flight connections</p>
<p>Various routes connect various destinations in Europe to airports across the globe. When you arrange flights to Russia, you should certainly compare the different choices that are available on the market. You may be able to find considerably reduced fares when you weight up the assorted fares on offer, but remember the implications to your journey regarding both the time end up travelling and the destinations you&#8217;ll arrive at.<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-149" title="travel to Russia" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/travel-to-Russia.jpg" alt="travel to Russia" width="540" height="405" /></p>
<p>Depending on where you set off from, and what flight fare/ deal you choose, you might find that you have one or more connecting flights to make along the way. Work out what destination in Russia you would like to reach and consider the choice for reaching this spot from your starting point, as there are likely to be various different routes that you can take. Depending on your trip, it may be advisable thinking about flying in to a different Russian airport to your intended destination, and then making another connection within Russia itself.</p>
<p>Airlines</p>
<p>Numerous different airlines operate flights to Russia from various UK, European and world airports. British Airways, BMI, Aeroflot, Lufthansa, Air France and many other services are available for transport to Russia by air, so you can browse a great selection of prices and travel options.</p>
<p>Tickets</p>
<p>These days, in the competitive tourism market, purchasing tickets on the Web can offer excellent value for money. Flights to Russia are on the market at considerably reduced costs from many online outlets. Anyone travelling to Russia would be well advised to get an overview of the prices on offer from different airlines and service providers, as you will find seriously different costs from each. If you do look around, try to remember that your trip to Russia is likely to be a relatively lengthy one, and so the comfort factor and customer service might be of more importance to you than it would perhaps be on a shorter trip.<br />
.</p>
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		<title>How About The Taste Of Russian Cuisine?</title>
		<link>http://greatrussia.org/how-about-the-taste-of-russian-cuisine.html</link>
		<comments>http://greatrussia.org/how-about-the-taste-of-russian-cuisine.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:09:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Russian Cuisine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://greatrussia.org/?p=138</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Russia is a great multi-ethnic country using a wealthy farming tradition, and consists of a tremendous amount to provide using the culinary arts. numerous Russian dishes are derived from conventional peasant dinners eaten using the country&#8217;s enormous farm expanses. Russian cuisine isn&#8217;t exactly famous the world over, yet anyone who has come into contact with [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-140" title="Russia" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Russia.png" alt="Russia" width="600" height="500" />Russia is a great multi-ethnic country using a wealthy farming tradition, and consists of a tremendous amount to provide using the culinary arts. numerous Russian dishes are derived from conventional peasant dinners eaten using the country&#8217;s enormous farm expanses. Russian cuisine isn&#8217;t exactly famous the world over, yet anyone who has come into contact with some Russian dishes is usually shocked by the caloric content. Why has Russian cuisine developed this way?</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-141" title="Russian Cuisine" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Russian-Cuisine2.jpg" alt="Russian Cuisine" width="525" height="700" />However, from the past, Russian diet plan was centered primarily away grain wheat, rye, oats and millet since the huge majority of individuals have been engaged in ploughing what they could. Cattle breeding was popular, as was hunting, major to many wild animal and foul centered dishes. The huge forests of Northern Russia have been abundant in berries and mushrooms too. So while the environment may take place to be harsh an amazing offer of time, <a href="http://greatrussia.org">Russian</a> individuals have been in no way as well difficult up. The harsh problems meant that foods would should take place to be simply preserved and that contains adequate energy for individuals to survive the winter months.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-143" title="Russian Cuisine" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Russian-Cuisine.bmp" alt="Russian Cuisine" />In front of everyone would be a spoon and a piece of bread, and soup dishes were served from a single communal bowl. The head of the house would ensure that everyone had a fair share of the meal. Before the introduction of forks, foods was introduced pre-cut into bite sized pieces on the large platter, and diners would consider the foods with their hands. Of course, this could be no lengthier observed today.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-144" title="Russian Cuisine" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Russian-Cuisine.jpg" alt="Russian Cuisine" width="603" height="384" />Now, foods that will be the day-to-day fare of Russians may possibly be ordered using the effortless click of the mouse. choose from &#8220;Kabonsy&#8221; a hunter&#8217;s sausage, ready according in the direction of time-honored recipe, or cheeses like &#8220;Tvorog Bazarnyi&#8221; a dried out curd cheese and &#8220;Viola&#8221; a softer cheese.</p>
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		<title>Why Men Like To Date Russian Women?</title>
		<link>http://greatrussia.org/why-men-like-to-date-russian-women.html</link>
		<comments>http://greatrussia.org/why-men-like-to-date-russian-women.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Dec 2011 06:05:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Russian Women]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://greatrussia.org/?p=109</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is a well-known fact that Russian Women are one of the most beautiful and gorgeous women not just in Asia but around the world. When visiting Russia, you&#8217;ll be amazed about the different Russian beauties, with long-legs, slim bodies and lovely faces. And because of Russia&#8217;s male-dominated society, many young Russian women prefer men [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-110" title="Russian Women" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Russian-Women.png" alt="Russian Women" width="596" height="226" />It is a well-known fact that <a href="http://greatrussia.org/tag/russian-women">Russian Women</a> are one of the most beautiful and gorgeous women not just in Asia but around the world. When visiting Russia, you&#8217;ll be amazed about the different Russian beauties, with long-legs, slim bodies and lovely faces. And because of Russia&#8217;s male-dominated society, many young Russian women prefer men who are gentlemanlike and chivalrous. Such simple thing like paying restaurant bills means a lot for them.<br />
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-119" title="Russian Women" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/5425325.jpg" alt="Russian Women" width="326" height="433" />If you are a man looking for a woman to settle down with then you are not alone. There are also a lot of men out there who are desperate to find the perfect girl for them. But you must understand that finding Ms. Right does not happen in just a click of a finger or overnight. It entails a lot of effort and time from you. Make it to a point that you are willing to wait for the right time because sometimes when you want to marry somebody by impulse it does not end up happily. If you are interested in finding Russian women for marriage then continue reading this article.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-128" title="Russian Women" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Russian-Women2.jpg" alt="Russian Women" width="524" height="364" />Russian women are also family-oriented, prioritizing family more than career. And for the young and single women, it is an embedded cultural norm that a woman must have a family. It is because a woman is considered unfortunate if she could not have children and remain unmarried. One major is reason is that they are fed up with relationship to Russian men. They believe that foreign men will seriously assume its role in the family and that this marriage will help them uplift their quality of life.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-134" title="Family-oriented Russian Women" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Family-oriented-Russian-Women1.jpg" alt="Family-oriented Russian Women" width="382" height="482" />While young Russian women are looking for a romantic relationship with foreign men, there are certain positive qualities that they are seeking in a man. Based from statistics done on online dating sites, majority prefer positive characters such kind, caring, family-oriented and physically strong than physical appearance. Men dressing fashionably and stylish turns them off as men with simplicity is what they love most. When writing for the first time, always give a pleasant compliment, but make it interesting and creative. Pick something from her profile like her favorite food or a foreign country visited. From there, use it as a lead to starting your conversation. Never start your conversation by complementing her appearance or her body. This isn&#8217;t a smart strategy since even the most beautiful woman doesn&#8217;t like the idea of being courted just for her appearance.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-130" title="Russian Women" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Russian-Women032.jpg" alt="Russian Women" width="476" height="322" />You will be amazed by the great history, sights and landmarks that you can visit. Travelling to Russia must be included in your list of destinations to visit if you seek to date beautiful Russian women. You will have a different experience from the usual beach and island destinations. This will be a new adventure that you can share to your friends and family once you go home. Russia is well-known for women whom possess an abundance of great qualities. These qualities make them stand out from women of other countries.<br />
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-114" title="Sasha Pivovarova" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Sasha-Pivovarova02.jpg" alt="Sasha Pivovarova" width="556" height="300" />You can describe the typical Russian woman as independent, loyal, faithful, and well educated while possessing striking features, with these great qualities, no wonder men prefer to date Russian women if given the chance. If you happen to travel to Russia, you have ample opportunity to meet one, if dating is also part of your reason for travelling there. Another alternative is to search for dating websites that will allow you to meet Russian women.</p>
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		<title>United Russia Pays PR Firm To Target Navalny</title>
		<link>http://greatrussia.org/united-russia-pays-pr-firm-to-target-navalny.html</link>
		<comments>http://greatrussia.org/united-russia-pays-pr-firm-to-target-navalny.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:21:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://greatrussia.org/?p=98</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Given that Russian anti-corruption crusader Alexei Navalny coined “The Party of Liars and Thieves” as a euphemism for United Russia, it was only a matter of time before the Party of Power unleashed it’s “administrative resources” to discredit the blogger and his anti-corruption organization RosPil. According to Novaya gazeta, such a effort is already in the works as United [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<ul>
<li><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-99" title="windows to russia" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/windows-to-russia.jpg" alt="windows to russia" width="284" height="177" />Given that Russian anti-corruption crusader Alexei Navalny coined “The Party of Liars and Thieves” as a euphemism for United Russia, it was only a matter of time before the Party of Power unleashed it’s “administrative resources” to discredit the blogger and his anti-corruption organization RosPil. According to <em>Novaya gazeta</em>, such a effort is already in the works as United Russia has given a Moscow PR firm 10 million rubles ($325,000) to unleash an black PR campaign against the blogger.  The plot plans to include the following tactics:</li>
<li>
<blockquote><p>During a “brainstorming session” [at the PR firm] the idea was born to find a person who looks like Navalny and to hire a make-up artist to make him absolutely look like him, and shoot videos with him participating in various “compromising situations.” The idea was approved and the firm set to work on it. It was also agreed to launch a series of “exposés” using “documents” made with Photoshop.</p>
<p>They decided against the use of bots to spread the information. A headquarters was established with real users of social media and the recruiting of bloggers already began last week.  The desired “qualifications”: the existence of a blog registered no later than January 2010 and having no less that 200 “friends.” On the next day, according to<em>Novaya </em><em>gazeta</em>‘s source, almost 500 bloggers were already paid $100 per post on the Russian language section of Facebook, LiveJournal, and those that reside outside of Russia (the majority in Ukraine.)</p></blockquote>
</li>
<li>I, of course, assume that some of these bloggers for hire are affiliated with Nashi. After all, Nashi All-Father Vasilii Yakemenko denounced Navalny as an “enemy of the people” seeking to destroy the Russia. And dragging Navalny’s good name along the asphalt of the information superhighway was one of the ways they were going defeat his evil plot. So if you see a sudden uptick of anti-Navalny screeds on Nashi affiliated blogs, you’ll know why.</li>
<li>Navalny, however, was hardly surprised.  In response he told <em>Novaya gazeta</em>:</li>
<li>
<blockquote><p>“I read some kind of article from Alexei Chapaev, one of United Russia ideologes, that “Navalny feeds a great number of political technologists close to the Kremlin” for which they’ve allocated an enormous budget. I have no doubt that this struggle is not against me but against the movement that is associated with me, and it will grow as our work becomes more effective. I think that these people must go to prison. And we will apply all our strength so that they will sooner or later.  You understand that the liars don’t want to go to jail and will defend themselves by any means.”</p></blockquote>
</li>
<li>In the meantime, Navalny has begun a contest for the best song about the “Party of liars and thieves.” You can see the entries here, here, here, here, and here. The winner gets 150,000 rubles (about $5000).</li>
</ul>
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		<title>Russia Getting Meatier</title>
		<link>http://greatrussia.org/russia-getting-meatier.html</link>
		<comments>http://greatrussia.org/russia-getting-meatier.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:13:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[History]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://greatrussia.org/?p=95</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There’s a lot of ways to measure the economic health of a country: per capita income, wealth, inequality, employment, poverty level, etc. The list is virtually endless. Another way is by measuring the average amount of meat a person consumes. Yes, meat, that juicy, protein filled delight, the consumption of which is a testament to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-96" title="russia" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/russia.jpg" alt="russia" width="298" height="169" />There’s a lot of ways to measure the economic health of a country: per capita income, wealth, inequality, employment, poverty level, etc. The list is virtually endless. Another way is by measuring the average amount of meat a person consumes. Yes, meat, that juicy, protein filled delight, the consumption of which is a testament to people literally living off the fat of the land.  Sure meat consumption can’t be reduced to wealth. A lot of other factors go into it too–culinary culture, religion, geographic location, climate, to name a few. Still per capita meat consumption statistics do seem to correlate to a population’s economic status.</p>
<p>Slon.ru reports that yearly per capita meat consumption in Russia is 63 kilograms per person. A respectable numbercompared to the rest of the world, but a good 40 to 50 kilos behind other meat-centric peoples like the Americans and Western Europeans. But where Russia’s carnivorousness places in global statistics isn’t the real point.  What’s more revealing is how they compare to past Russian consumption.</p>
<p>As Slon.ru notes, the Putin years have witnessed a meat boom. In 1999, Russians consumed an average 41 kilos of flesh a year. That has shot up by 20 kilos in the last ten years. In this sense, whatever one says about Putin, he has brought home the bacon. Nevertheless, there are important regional differences.  Assuming that the statistics collected by the Ministry of Health approach an accurate estimate, regional difference can be quite stark.  For example, a person devours 99 kilos of meat in Kalmykia, while only 31 kilos in Dagestan. Or while the Ministry of Health says that the normal consumption of meat is 70-75 kilos a year, only 16 Russian provinces meet this norm. Only four regions average more than 80 kilos: Kalmykia, Moscow province, Yakutia, and Sakhalin.  Slon.ru has provided a province by province breakdown.</p>
<p>The statistic that I find most interesting, and revealing about post-Soviet Russia is that while meat consumption has increased dramatically over the last ten years, it still falls short of the USSR peak of 69 kilos in 1989. A few other interesting things to note are that meat consumption rose a dramatic 10 kilos from 1985-1989, the perestroika years. Also, there were no statistics between 1989-1995, a sure indicator of the collapse of the Russian state. But when measurement of meat was resumed in 1995, consumption had plummeted to 50 kilos per person.  It bottomed out in 1999, after the Russian economy crashed and burned, to around 41 kilos. Finally, meat consumption leveled off in 2008 when the economic crisis hit Russia, but began to rise a year later suggesting a strong recovery on an everyday level.</p>
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		<title>Why Are Russians Protesting Now?</title>
		<link>http://greatrussia.org/why-are-russians-protesting-now.html</link>
		<comments>http://greatrussia.org/why-are-russians-protesting-now.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:08:32 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Geography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[History]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://greatrussia.org/?p=92</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a day of protests against Sunday’s Duma election begins in Russia’s Far East, the big question is why are people protesting now? After all, it’s not like this is the first Russian election with shenanigans, fraud, etc, etc. It is, however, the first one when Vladimir Putin and his party, United Russia, are dropping in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<ul>
<li><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-93" title="russian" src="http://greatrussia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/russian.jpg" alt="russian" width="260" height="194" />As a day of protests against Sunday’s Duma election begins in Russia’s Far East, the big question is why are people protesting now? After all, it’s not like this is the first Russian election with shenanigans, fraud, etc, etc. It is, however, the first one when Vladimir Putin and his party, United Russia, are dropping in approval ratings. Still, VVP still garners, according to the last tally, a 67 percent approval rating. And if you buy that the elections were close to the will of the people, United Russia still polled 49.3%. But that is if you buy the results, which many, including myself, don’t.</li>
<li>Still, “why now?” is the question of the day.  <em>Svobodnaya Pressa</em> asked Leontii Byzov, a senior sociologist from the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences this very question. I thought his answer was worth thinking about.</li>
<li>
<blockquote><p>Byzov: There are several overlapping factors. First, the rise of a new generation of young people who don’t remember the “trauma of the 1990s”. They are not afraid of change, it is more attractive to them than the “gilded cage” of Putinist stability. Young members of the middle class want social mobility and dream about meteoric careers.</p>
<p>Another factor is the swelling internal opposition within the Russian elite. In the 2000s, Putin served as a certain guarantor of balance between elite groups with completely opposite interests. Such as, for example, the <em>siloviki</em>and liberals in the government. Under President Medvedev this process became unbalanced. One was for Putin, the other for Medvedev. Those who stood with Medvedev felt the taste of power and property. They urged the President to remove Putin from the Premiership and run for a second term. For them, this was a chance that would have called for a struggle against the financial flows Putin’s people control. For control of Gazprom and other state corporations. Therefore, it was hard to presume that these groups would submit to defeat and quietly leave and put aside their plans for the next several years and, perhaps, forever.</p>
<p>I don’t exclude the possibility that now a very large stake has been placed on Putin not being elected. Or, if it happens, to ensure that Putin becomes President in an extremely weak position with minimal support of Russian society and in poor light in the eyes of the West. This will bind his hands.</p>
<p>The parliamentary elections are a pretext for the maximum inflammation of social dissatisfaction and to delegitimize the upcoming Presidential elections in Russia. Hereby at the same time the results of the parliamentary elections interest a few. From this, United Russia more or less gained a mandate, it made no one hotter or colder. These issues are completely irrelevant to our political system.</p>
<p>The falsification of the election results that are now criticized truly have a place but they occurred in 2007 and then even possibly on a greater scale than now. But then it wasn’t an issue for anyone. Today society is incensed and will continue to be deliberately heated up. An outside group interested in the reduction of power and property has global influence, first and foremost Western networks are in this process. In the West, they also very much don’t want Putin to return to the Kremlin and consolidate power around himself. A serious struggle awaits and the main players are not the people in the street, but those who prepare the government elite revolution in the country. And they are looking after their own objectives.</p></blockquote>
</li>
<li>Are the street protests and public outcry symbolic or part of a larger struggle within the Russian elite? Perhaps. There are deep splits within the Russia elite, fissures that were deepened after Putin’s return was announced. But will Don Putin be able return balance this time? I’m not very confident.</li>
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